Braver Angels. Learning & Listening Across Political Divides: Wilk Wilkinson

Feb 21, 2025

Wilk Wilkinson, a Christian conservative and Braver Angels volunteer leader, shares his journey from political rage to fostering dialogue across divides. He emphasizes the importance of having civil conversations with those who hold opposing views, advocating for empathy and understanding instead of animosity. Through his podcast 'Derate the Hate,' he engages with diverse guests to explore themes of gratitude and accountability. Wilk believes that everyone, regardless of political stance, has valuable insights worth discussing, promoting unity over division.

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ANECDOTE

Wilk's Political Awakening

Wilk Wilkinson's political awareness began after 9-11 and military service.
His anger towards the left grew as he witnessed ongoing blame games, fueling his conservative values.

INSIGHT

Fog Model in Media

Media highlights fear, outrage, and grievance to attract attention, worsening division.
This "fog model" exploits human fascination with negativity over positivity.

ADVICE

Talk Civility Across Divides

Avoid viewing political opponents as enemies despite deep disagreements.
Embrace civil conversations across the political spectrum to help heal divisions.

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What do you think of people who you totally disagree with about politics? Can you listen to their point of view and have a constructive conversation? Do you dismiss the other side as evil or deplorable?

In this episode we hear from Wilk Wilkinson, a Christian conservative who voted for Donald Trump. He has working class roots and grew up poor. A decade ago Wilk was enraged at liberals, but today he’s working closely with both reds and blues at Braver Angels to turn down the volume on loathing and distrust.

“There’s no reason why I can’t have civil conversations with people on the blue side”, says Wilk. “We cannot get stuck in this idea that just because politically we don’t see eye-to-eye we are enemies.”

Wilk’s podcast is “Derate the Hate.” He’s had “guests from all over the spectrum and talked about gratitude, forgiveness, and personal accountability” with authors, journalists, life coaches, and psychologists.

“I’ve taken away incredible things from people who I disagree with vehemently on politics and most other things”, Wilk told us. “We’ve all got our blind spots, but not one of us is not worth talking to.”

Wilk works in the trucking industry in central Minnesota. He describes himself as a devoted husband, a loving father, and a steadfast Christian conservative. He came from humble beginnings and as a child lived in small towns across the upper Midwest. Wilk started working at the age of 10 and hasn’t stopped.

Through his podcast and personal experiences, Wilk shares candidly about the power of personal accountability, gratitude, and civility. He firmly believes that our reactions to life's challenges define us more than the challenges themselves. In his view, civility entails recognizing the humanity in everyone, regardless of our differences, our differing opinions, and/or backgrounds.

Wilk says his journey from adversity to success in his career, marriage, and parenting exemplifies the transformative power of perseverance and self-improvement. His podcast and work as a volunteer leader with Braver Angels, offer hope, guidance, practical tips and tools for positive change. Wilk was recently named to the Board of Advisors at the Prohuman Foundation.

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